


destroying all the cruelty of fate

by oceanicspirit



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), F/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 13:34:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19110724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oceanicspirit/pseuds/oceanicspirit
Summary: some believed that when a person dies, their souls are brought back to live another life





	destroying all the cruelty of fate

**Author's Note:**

> So I've been itching to do this troupe. I've had this headcanon of Natasha being reincarnated after sacrificing herself, and that when Steve returned the Soul Stone that her soul was recycled into another life. And then I ended up mixing this with the whole multiverse shing ding.
> 
> Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of any characters used

She had no idea how she ended up here. Perhaps it was the doing of the Soul Stone when she sacrificed herself. 

*****

_ Natasha Romanoff found herself waking up in a hospital. A doctor standing beside her bed with a gentle smile on her face. _

_ “We were afraid you weren’t going to wake up. That was a terrible car accident you were in.” _

_ “Car….accident?” _

_ “Oh yes, you were hit by a driver who apparently wasn’t paying attention. People these days always texting on their phones.” She shook her head as she finished writing on her tablet. “Well you’re all clear, but I suggest a couple of days of rest before going back to classes.” _

_ “Classes?” Natasha had no idea what this person was talking about. _

_ “You’re a student dear, it says you’re studying to become a dancer at NYU.” The doctor gestured towards the wallet on the table and a college student backpack on the chair. “You do have a minor concussion, so these short term memory losses are to be expected. You’re roommate is waiting for you.” _

_ Natasha nodded dumbly as the doctor left the room, allowing the redhead to get dressed. She picked up the small duffle bag and was surprised at what was in it.  _

_ ‘What the hell is going on,’ she looked at the clothes and they were all very comfortable clothing. She headed towards the waiting area and was surprised at who hugged her. _

_ “Jesus Natasha, I thought you were dead.” The redhead’s eyebrows widened as the person pulled away. “Is something wrong?” _

_ “Pepper, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with Morgan?” _

_ The strawberry blonde tilted her head. “I came to pick you up silly. And who the hell is Morgan, I hope not my boyfriend because you know Tony has the tendency to get jealous.” _

_ “Pepper what year is it?” _

_ Pepper frowned, “It’s 2014 silly. You’re Natasha Romanoff, age 23, and a student at NYU.” _

_ Natasha was stunned, not only was she in a different year but much younger as well. Pepper led her friend to the car as she knew that the redhead was suffering from short term memory loss because of the accident. She knew something was up with her friend but decided not to press her because she wanted Natasha to get better. _

*****

“Alright red, so what’s with the whole group meeting,” Tony asked as he sat next to Pepper.

She noticed almost everyone in this college dorm. Maria, Clint, Thor, Bruce, Wanda, Rhodey, Sam, Pietro (surprisingly), and Thor’s first Earth friends - Jane and Darcy.

Natasha began to explain how she was from an Earth that was similar to this one but also different. She told them how Tony, Clint, Thor, Bruce, Rhodey and Sam were heroes called The Avengers. She told them about the dangers their group face and of Thanos. Then she told them how she sacrificed herself in order to get the Soul Stone.

“This sounds like the Multiverse Theory,” Bruce rubbed his chin.

“Multiverse Theory?” Tony asked.

Bruce nodded, “There’s been a theory going around about how there are many different multiverses, many Earth’s that are similar in some aspect but also different from one another.”

“So there’s a universe in which I’m a badass, nice,” Sam grinned.

Clint frowned, “I don’t like the universe Nat claimed she was from.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

“The only problem is, how I ended up here.” Natasha sat down. 

“Reincarnation,” Bruce snapped his fingers. Everyone looked at him. “Okay, so reincarnation is sort of a thing in some religions. They believe that people’s souls get reincarnated in another life. Perhaps that is what happened with Natasha after she sacrificed herself for the Soul Stone. Her soul ended up being reincarnated into this life.”

“Makes sense,” said Wanda. 

After a group dinner, everyone left Natasha and Pepper’s room.

“You going to be okay?”

Natasha nodded, “I’ll be alright. It’s nice to know that everyone I know from my universe is here too.”

Pepper smiled and headed to her room. Natasha did the same and laid in her bed. Feeling restless she grabbed her laptop and went to the school records. 

_ Steve Rogers _

She anxiously waited for the page to finish loading.

_ No student records found _

Her heart dropped. She had hoped that Steve Rogers would be in this university. Shaking her head, she ended up going to Google and typing his name. Nothing showed up and she felt her heart breaking. 

Did that mean Steve Rogers didn’t exist in her universe?

*****

After the heartbreak of her search, Natasha poured all her focus into her studies and her dancing. They all knew why she was doing it….to hide the pain that someone she knew was missing in her group. 

One day Tony pulled her aside.

“Is something wrong Tony?”

“I wanted to apologize to you. I know you were looking for someone when you had all of us gather in you and Pep’s dorm. Pep told me that you were looking for someone, she was curious because sometimes you said his name in your sleep, her words not mine. Someone named Steve Rogers.” Natasha felt her heart skip a beat. “I tried looking for him, honest to god Natasha I did, but I couldn’t find  _ anything _ on him. It was like…”

“Looking for a ghost?” Tony nodded. “I appreciate the help Tony. You guys don’t have to worry about me, I’ll be alright.” The redhead walked away, tears threatened to fall.

*****

Everyone was excited about the start of the spring semester, which meant they were getting closer to summer. Even Natasha was excited, she embraced the normalcy she was given. She had considered it a blessing after her sacrifice and loved it. Her eyes noticed a young man talking to Wanda.

“Hey Wanda, who’s your friend…” Her eyes widened at the man in front of her.

“Speechless, seems like my Barnes charm never fail me.” The man grinned.

“James, this is my friend Natasha. James is a recent transfer.”

“Names James Buchanan Barnes, everyone calls me Bucky. Well except Miss Maximoff over here.” He held his left hand out.

Natasha looked down and noticed it was flesh instead of metal. Shaking her head, Natasha took it. “Natasha Romanoff.”

“Romanoff huh? You Russian?”

“Got a problem with that  _ James _ ,” Natasha raised a brow.

Bucky chuckled, “Nah I’m good. I’m taking a Russian English class, so I might have to borrow your Russian blood for that.”

“Good luck with that Barnes,” the redhead smirked.

Bucky laughed, “I like your friend over here Wanda. So how about continuing on that tour huh?” He wrapped his arm around Wanda and the two began to walk away.

“I’ll see you at work later Natasha,” Wanda shouted over her shoulder.

Natasha nodded. Seeing Bucky had given her hope. 

*****

Even with Bucky being a new student for the first week of the spring semester, Natasha gave up hope. She checked the student records again and nothing came up. Natasha even confronted Bucky one day and asked if he knew Steve.

( _ “You wanted to talk to me?” _

_ Natasha nodded and gripped the strap of her messenger bag, “I was wondering if you knew a guy named Steve Rogers.” _

_ Bucky paused and began to think. Natasha’s heart started beating fast as Bucy began to speak. “Sorry Natasha, I don’t know anyone by that name.” _

_ “Are you sure? Steven Grant Rogers, you two used to be childhood friends.” _

_ He shook his head, “The name doesn’t ring a bell.” _

_ Natasha bit her lip, tears threatened to spill and she swallowed down a lump. “Thanks James.” Quickly she turned around and walked away. Her heart breaking in two. She didn’t know what she would do if she had to live in a world without Steve. _

_ Then again, Steve was living in a world without her. _ )

She sighed as she watched students sit down on the tables in the coffee shop she was working in. She was jealous of young couples enjoying themselves and regretted not telling Steve of her feelings for him. 

“Nat, you got an order,” Wanda’s voice snapped the redhead out of her thoughts.

“Sorry.”

“You okay?”

Natasha nodded her head and gave her friend a smile, “I’ll be alright.” It didn’t take long to finish making the drink. “Medium white mocha with soy milk.”

“Right here!”

Natasha’s body froze at the sound of a familiar voice. Her eyes widened as the person walked up to the counter.

_ Blue eyes met green _

The young man looked at her and she looked at him.

Natasha began to speak without even thinking. “Captain Rogers.”

The blonde gave her a dimple smile and his blue eyes brighten, “Ma’am.” Steve’s fingers gently brushed against her own as he took his drink and headed off to an empty table.

“Is that him?” Wanda asked the moment it quieted down.

Natasha nodded her head. She found herself stealing small glances at Steve and he would look up and give her a boyish smile. 

“Why don’t you finish early? Clint will be here in a few minutes anyways.”

“Are you sure?”

Wanda nodded, “Go, you deserve it. Be happy Natasha.”

Quickly she clocked out and changed out of her uniform in the bathroom. She slowly walked up to Steve’s table and found him drawing. It was a picture of them when they first met on top of the helicarrier. 

“Hey soldier,” she sat down across from him. “I guess this picture proves that it’s  _ really _ you.”

Steve smiled and held her hand, “Sorry it took me so long to come and find you.”

“Sorry that the minute lasted a lot longer.”

“How about we get out of here?” She nodded and the two left the coffee shop. They walked side by side among the campus grounds. “I never thought I’d see you again.” He stopped and she did too, Natasha was surprised as Steve pulled her in for a hug. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too Steve. I almost gave up when I found out you didn’t exist in this universe. When I asked Barnes if he knew he, he said he didn’t.” She tightened her grip on him. “I couldn’t imagine living in a world without you.”

“I had to live in a world without you,” he pulled away from her and cupped her face, “but now that I found you. I always want to keep living in a world with you.”

“I’m sorry Steve, for leaving you alone.” Natasha nuzzled into the palm of his hand.

He gave her a gentle smile, “Doesn’t matter now. We’re both here, finally being able to live a normal life.”

“But how did you end up here? I mean I found myself in this universe after sacrificing myself for the Soul Stone.”

Steve’s thumb brushed her cheek, “I died Natasha. When I was returning the Tesseract back in the 70s, I took two more Pym Particles before returning the Soul Stone last. I thought if I did give the Soul Stone back, you’d come back, but you didn’t. I went back to the 40s and got my dance with Peggy.”

“And did you stay with her?”

Steve shook his head, “I couldn’t. I wasn’t in love with her anymore, because the woman who had my heart died so we could bring everyone back.” He gave the redhead a loving smile. “So the only thing I did was create another alternate reality, HYDRA didn’t exist in it, Bucky was saved from being tormented, and I managed to convince Howard to put Tony first before his work. Though I made sure that I was hidden because the other me was still asleep.”

“And then what happened?”

“Well, as I was finally an old man, I went back to our timeline and gave Sam the shield. Even he was surprised that I didn’t marry Peggy but knew that I was still in love with you.”

“And then you died of old age.”

Steve nodded, “And then I found myself in a hospital after getting hit by a car when I was on my way to submit my transfer for the spring semester here.”

Natasha laughed, “No wonder I couldn’t find you in the student records during the first week of spring semester.”

“Yeah, student administrations were kind enough to let me enroll here after my accident. Thankfully I didn’t miss much since it was only the first week.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Natasha laid her head against his chest. 

“Well I hope you don’t mind asking you out on a date.”

Natasha looked up and smiled, “Hopefully not for coffee.”

Steve laughed, “No, but there is a diner I remember that had the best milkshakes in the world.”

“Lead the way soldier.” They walked hand in hand towards their destination. 


End file.
